Thursday, November 29, 2012

Thank you so much for praying for the mother of one of our Tiszafüred church plant members, who the doctors had expected to pass away back in September. Praise the Lord, we received some wonderful news this weekend—our friend told us that her mother has prayed and asked God to forgive her of her sins! She now seems much more at peace. Please continue to pray for this family, that the decision to follow Christ is real and that the Lord will work His will in the lives of all the family members. Also pray for relief of pain and for strength to face whatever the Lord has for “Mama” next.

The picture above is of Gary with our church plant members, the partnering Hungarian pastor, Csaba Pesti [CHAH-bah PESH-tee], and members from some of the other churches he pastors in the area. They were in Tiszafüred to celebrate a day of thanksgiving with us. In Hungary there is no officially sanctioned Thanksgiving Day, but many of the churches choose a day in the fall and come together to give thanks. God is good and worthy of our praise!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thank you for continuing to pray for the elderly mother of our Hungarian friend. In spite of what the doctor said, she is still hanging on to life and is actually eating a little more and gaining some strength. About a week ago she said that she was seeing the Devil sitting by her bed, and she was too terrified to let herself sleep. As of yesterday she is no longer seeing this while awake, but is having frightening dreams. Please pray that she will understand and accept the love and forgiveness that is offered through Christ and will no longer need to fear.

Also, thank you for your prayers for our family members who have been having serious health issues. PTL, they are healing well!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the US Northeast who are suffering in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. May God provide for their every need and give them comfort. Today we were encouraged to see demonstrated once again that God's love knows no borders -- Hungarian Baptist Aid's Rescue 24 team is now on the ground in New Brunswick, NJ, serving hot meals to victims of the storm; they are partnering with the North Carolina Baptist Convention and the American Red Cross.

Praise the Lord for our Hungarian brothers and sisters in Christ and the many others who care enough to help in such practical ways. May the Lord use them in a mighty way to show His love, meeting both physical and spiritual needs.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Please continue to pray for the mother of our Hungarian friend. In spite of what the doctor has predicted, she continues to hang on to life, eating and drinking barely enough to keep herself alive. Pray that she will find peace in the Lord before she passes away, and also that our friend will have the strength and grace to make it through this difficult time.

Also pray for „M,” the sister of another new believer, who needs the Lord in her life and in her family. Our friend tells us tearfully that the home situation is very bad, involving three young children, and that her sister is not open to words of wisdom or spiritual input. Pray for protection for the young woman and her children, and also that God will soften her heart and draw her to Himself.

Members of our families back home are experiencing very serious health issues. At times like these it is terribly difficult to be so far away, but we know we need to be faithful to what God is calling us to do...we appreciate your prayers and support very much.

Friday, September 21, 2012

A dear friend of ours here in Hungary, a new believer, just called to say that the doctor had been there and told her that her mother is dying and most likely will be gone by Monday. Her mom has been very sick and in a lot of pain for a while now, but the most urgent issue is that she doesn’t know the Lord. Please pray that she will be able to understand her need for the Savior, and that she will open her heart to Him before it is too late. Also pray for God’s merciful hand to be on both ladies and other friends and family during this very difficult time. Our friend said that we can come and visit tomorrow (Saturday), so pray for good communication and the working of the Holy Spirit as we go to minister to them.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Somehow I don't think this is how most people picture missions. Our dining room table is covered with--among other things--four model airplanes, a "test your knowledge of aviation history" interactive board that lights up to show if answers are true or false, and a ping-pong ball catapult made from a mouse trap and plastic spoon. Gary is in the living room testing a 6-foot-long wind tunnel, smoky streams billowing from a fog machine.

Materials for teaching the physics of flight / Gary putting together his wind tunnel (the fog came later.)Pray for Gary as he travels to Romania for aviation camp, for safety and for smooth border crossings.What does all this have to do with missions? Glad you asked! God has a way of using whatever background and experience you have in order to connect with people and teach them about who He is...who we are...and how we can come into relationship with Him. Gary has a degree in Aviation Technology and experience as a pilot and flight instructor, and God has given him a passion to use these things to demonstrate that God as Creator made the world in such a way that it reveals Himself to man. While teaching the concepts of aviation and physics, Gary is able to incorporate spiritual principles in a way that is exciting and memorable.

Please pray for the Aripi de Inger ("Angel Wings") Foundation aviation camp that's taking place this week near Timisoara, Romania, and for Gary and the others who will be teaching and leading it. Young people come for the chance to learn about aviation, to fly in an ultralight plane, and to participate in science competitions and in sports--but they often leave with a much greater experience than even those things. Many lives have been changed as participants see the world from a totally new vantage point and come face-to-face with the Gospel. Pray for safety, for a great experience for the participants, and that their hearts will be open to hearing truths about God along with the concepts of aviation.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

For years we've visited the town of Nádudvar as often as we could, prayerwalked the streets, held concerts and events, and longed for a church to be planted. This weekend "T.", a young friend from there, told us that he knows he needs to make some changes in his life, and he asked us to have Bible study with him. Praise the Lord for how He draws people to Himself! Pray that our friend will continue on the path to finding a relationship with God, for wisdom for us in finding a time and place for the Bible study, and that this will be the first step to a church plant in that town.

A Nádudvar bed-and-breakfast where our volunteer teams have sometimes stayed.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

In the past we've asked you topray for the 170,000 ethnic Hungarians that live in the Ukraine.In July we met with Valentin Nehro, pastor and missions worker from the Transcarpathian region of the Ukraine, and his wife Tanya. It was a great time of sharing, praying and encouraging one another--all over some really fine cappuccinos and coffee.

The Nehros said there is great openness to the Gospel in their area.They told us that in their work they have ethnically mixed groups, so much of it is done in both Ukrainian and Hungarian. God is doing great things there, but they desperately need more help on the ground to accomplish what needs done.

Their major prayer request is for people to come and work with them, whether on short-term mission trips or for longer commitments.They are in urgent need of help in youth ministry and evangelism.Please pray for this work and let us know if you are interested in being involved in this area.

One day of the camp a news crew came from the local online TV station and did several interviews. Today I found the program on the Internet, and I was please to see how positively it was presented. They didn't edit out the testimonies at all. PTL! http://hvtv.hu/musorok/2012/07/16/dijtalan-tabor

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A big "thank you" to those who continue to pray for us and the ministry here even during times when we are on the run and don't get updates posted. You are an important part of the team and of what God is doing!

After the English camp and some time with Grain Game folks here doing more camps, we headed off for a conference in beautiful, sunny (hot!) Greece. It was a wonderful but activity-packed time of praise and worship in English, great Bible teaching, training and updates from our leadership, and connecting and networking with co-workers from many countries.

Shortly after we returned home, I (Carolyn), along with teammate Kimberly Hathcock and other missionary women from Hungary, had the pleasure of taking part in a women's retreat in Budapest. It was a great experience for me, full of belly laughs and tears, music, great Bible study, fun crafts and activities--and lots of time to chat with other ladies who love the Lord. Thank you to Kim K. and all the team from Austin for the love and care that you shared with us through the retreat. May God bless you as you have blessed us!

Today is the day we've been looking forward to ever since the Hathcock family became a part of the Eastern Hungary Team! Moving day is upon them, and they are busy transplanting their family from Budapest, where they have been studying Hungarian, to their new home here in Debrecen. After they get settled in, Kimberly will begin home schooling the girls, and Darrel will lead his family to begin their student outreach to young people in Debrecen and the surrounding area. (Visit the Hathcock family's blog.)

Please pray:

that the move and transition to life in Debrecen will go smoothly

for the transition back to home schooling for the girls, and for Kimberly as she teaches them

for the family's continued language studies

for great new relationships - both for needed friendships and for the opportunity to share Christ's love

guidance and focus for how to proceed as they move into this stage of ministry

that hearts will be prepared to hear the Gospel witness that will go out through the family.

for us to form a close, unified team, and for wisdom for Gary as our leader

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The outreach English camp this last week was fantastic in spite of very high temperatures and a shortage of translators. God is faithful even when we can't see how things will possibly work out!

Of the 102 registered participants, between 80 and 90 came each day to learn English through Bible stories. The small Baptist church in Hajdúszoboszló once again did a wonderful job of hosting the event, and the Cross Timber Baptist Church volunteer team from Burleson, Texas, along with Hungarian friends from around this area, worked hard each day to make it a wonderful experience for all those who came. We were also very thankful that the Hathcock family were able to come and stay for the week to help with the camp. Pray for them especially over the coming weeks as they pack to move from Budapest to Debrecen; they will be changing from full-time language study to part-time Hungarian classes as they transition to their work in student outreach.

Please pray that the Gospel seeds planted will flourish and lead to many changed lives. Praise the Lord with us for how He is working in the world today!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Our 10th annual May month of prayer begins today! Please join us in lifting up the ministries and people of eastern Hungary by downloading the prayer calendar and praying with us each day. Feel free to copy the calendar and share it with friends, Sunday school classes and prayer groups. For more information about the work going on in eastern Hungary visit the website or check back with us here on the blog.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

We're happy to report that Gary has also received clearance from the medical department in order to return to the field. Thank you for praying for him and for the whole process. Please continue to pray for us, that we'll be able to accomplish all that is needed and still be able to spend some precious time with loved ones and friends before we depart on May 29.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Hello from Nevada, Missouri, where we're taking part in Nevada First Baptist's first-ever Global Missions Celebration. The people here have been wonderful to us, and we are enjoying meeting them and sharing about the people and the work in Hungary. It's always exciting to hang out with other missionaries, too, and hear how the Lord is working around the world. Exciting things are happening that you will never hear on the news--our God is alive and well!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Hello, everyone. We've been transitional since just before Christmas, so I'm sorry I've not been posting. Stateside Assignment isn't a vacation for missionaries, but we did take time off over the holidays to spend time with family, which was fantastic! Then we got word from friends back in Hungary that our house there has been burglarized, so we've been very busy dealing with that. Trying to figure out exactly what all is missing from long distance isn't easy, but our friends and co-workers have been very helpful (thanks, guys!) We've been making lists of information for the Hungarian police, searching for information to turn in to the insurance company, and dealing with a lot of other things because of what happened. We appreciate everyone's prayers as we continue to work through it all and deal with the emotions that also come up when something like this happens.

We're in the US until the end of May doing a lot of speaking at churches and missions conferences (maybe we'll get to see some of you), hanging out with friends and family as much as we can, and eating at Arby's whenever possible (something I miss in Hungary!) "Home base" is in Missouri, but we've already been in Virginia and Colorado, Gary has been to Houston for a training conference, and we're now in Wichita, Kansas at my sister Nancy's, who is our Stateside Prayer Coordinator. Yesterday we had a great time at her church, where we enjoyed worshiping in English and met some wonderful people. Thanks, Metropolitan Baptist, for letting us share a little with you about our work, and for all your prayers and encouraging words. It's always great to meet brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what continent we're on. God is good!